Biggest USMNT World Cup roster snubs: Tessmann, Luna left off USA squad as 2026 FIFA tournament arrives

Biggest USMNT World Cup roster snubs: Tessmann, Luna left off USA squad as 2026 FIFA tournament arrives originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the United States men will embark on one of the most important summers — if not THE most important — in the national team's entire history.

Looking to push soccer in the U.S. to a new level of fandom, there is an excitement building across the country waiting to explode if the team can push deep into the tournament and set a new bar for results against the global soccer elite.

To do so, head coach Mauricio Pochettino has decided to call in 26 players who he believes will give the USMNT its best chance at an historical result at the world-famous competition.

With that, Pochettino has made a few curious decisions to leave off certain players who have become regular contributors under the Argentine's watch, calling into question the process by which he came to decide the individuals ultimately called up to World Cup duty.

The Sporting News breaks down some of the most prominent individuals left off the United States roster for the 2026 World Cup, with the final list to be announced today (May 26).

MORE:Breaking down the official USMNT World Cup roster for the 2026 FIFA tournament

Biggest USMNT World Cup roster snubs

Tanner Tessmann, Lyon

Since breaking into the USMNT player pool in late 2024, the 24-year-old midfielder had been called into USMNT camp for each of the last three international windows before the 2026 World Cup, playing in all six matches while starting four. It was expected that Tessmann, therefore, would be a likely starter at the FIFA tournament as a foil to No. 6 Tyler Adams.

Thus, his exclusion from Pochettino's final roster was a true shock. While Tessmann suffered a muscle injury two weeks before the end of the club season, The Athletic has reported that the injury was minor and not expected to impact his World Cup availability.

Yet Tessmann was left out anyways, and the USMNT midfield, as a result, is exceedingly thin. Adams is the only natural defensive midfielder, and the only true box-to-box player is MLS veteran Cristian Roldan. Sebastian Berhalter is a more attack-minded central player, and Weston McKennie has been at his best for club and country when given freedom to roam.

Tessmann has risen to prominence at one of Europe's most recognizable clubs, making 41 appearances for French giants Lyon this season including 28 starts, logging 2,546 minutes in total. Leaving off a player of that caliber comes with questions regardless of the wider context, and zooming out also raises even more concerns.

At a tournament where injuries and yellow-card suspensions can hamstring a squad at any given moment, having such exceedingly thin depth at such a supposed position of strength for the United States is equal parts surprising and terrifying.

Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake

Nike

Nobody had embodied the hard-working mantra of Pochettino's USMNT reign than Luna. Breaking out as a USMNT fan favorite after pushing through a broken nose in January of 2025 against Costa Rica, Luna appeared to encapsulate exactly what Pochettino believed was missing from this player pool: a true desire to wear the badge and snatch their chance to play for the national team.

Seventeen of Luna's 18 international caps have come under Pochettino since that 2025 January camp, and he has scored four goals and assisted three in that time. He missed the March international window due to a knee injury, the first time he was not part of a USMNT squad since November 2024, but his place in the roster was never really questioned by that point.

As he continued to rise in prominence amongst the U.S. fanbase, his presence in World Cup marketing materials also seemed to hint at his position of safety for the coming finals. For example, Luna was one of a few U.S. players to model the new 2026 kits to be worn at the World Cup.

That's what made it so shocking, then, when Luna was excluded from the final USMNT roster. Despite four goals and one assist nine matches into the 2026 MLS season, Luna was not able to get over the finish line. All that praise from Pochettino, all those national-team minutes over the last 18 months, have ultimately been in vain.

Aidan Morris, Middlesbrough

With Johnny Cardoso injured and Tessmann left out, it seemed plausible that Morris would be a natural fit in this suddenly paper-thin USMNT midfield.

Yet like Tessmann, Pochettino snubbed Morris, too, despite his strong season in England for Championship side Middlesbrough in a promotion push that fell just short in the playoffs. Morris was brilliant in the playoff final defeat to Hull City, but by that point, he had already found out his World Cup chances were over.

Like Tessmann, Morris had been called into USMNT camp in each of the last three international breaks, seemingly putting him on the brink of a World Cup call-up. It did seem his chances were threatened by the sheer depth of talent in the U.S. midfield, which is what made his exclusion alongside Tessmann's most notable, moreso than Morris's absence in a vacuum.

Pochettino is taking a massive risk with such a thin midfield at the tournament. Roldan had a strong Club World Cup against some of world's top sides but is 31 years old and not necessarily a go-to option for a long World Cup run. Berhalter has been strong at times in a more attacking role, but was overwhelmed in his recent midfield appearance against South Korea. Most worryingly, if injuries or suspensions begin to further shred the midfield depth during the tournament, the remaining options will affect the team in other ways as Pochettino will be forced to shift things around.

Injured players for USMNT at World Cup

While he was not expected to start, Patrick Agyemang had positioned himself well to be amongst the strikers named to the roster, but he will not participate in the tournament after he ruptured his Achilles in April, ruling him out of the competition.

Also not available for selection is Johnny Cardoso, who suffered an ankle injury in Atletico Madrid training after being tackled hard by a teammate, requiring surgery that will rule him out of World Cup action.

Chris Richards suffered what appeared to be a nasty ankle injury while playing for Crystal Palace, one which threatens his chances of playing in the UEFA Conference League final, but it is reportedly not expected to keep him out of the World Cup.

Additionally, defender Cameron Carter-Vickers tore his Achilles back in November and is out of World Cup contention.